Part 1: Arsene ‘Who’?

‘1-0  to Arsenal’..

‘Boring Boring Arsenal’..

If phrases could describe the way a team played its football, then these were it. Possessed with a water-tight defense consisting of the famous ‘English Back-4’ and David ‘Safe Hands’ Seaman, between the sticks, attack surely wasn’t Arsenal’s forte. And mid-way through the 96-97’ season, it all changed. It all changed with the arrival of a man who was greeted by the Highbury faithful to the chants of ‘Arsene Who’..

Arsene Wenger, an Economics graduate from France, who had previously tasted minor success with Monaco in Ligue 1 and Nagoya Grampus in Japan, was given charge of an Arsenal team which had achieved less for a club of their size. Not is the recent past at least. Despite the arrival of Dennis Bergkamp a season back and Ian Wright already in the ranks, attacking flair was something Arsenal surprisingly lacked. But all this till the Professor arrived. With the signings of E.Petit, P.Vieira, T.Henry, N.Anelka, R.Pires, F.Ljungberg, S.Campbell, amongst others in a short span, something good, nah, something special had its sampling done.

Part 2: Arsene Knows

With a League-Cup double to show in his first full season in charge, i.e. 97-98’, Wenger had won over the skeptics in no time at all. But more than the trophies, it was the brand of football Arsenal now inherited under the manager, which caught everyone’s imagination. By the turn of the Millennia, the ‘French Revolution’ within North London had stamped its presence on the English soil. Another league win in 01-02’, a FA Cup in 02-03’, the Gunners dominated the domestic proceedings quiet consistently now. And then that le’special moment arrived, entire football fraternity watched in awe and with utter reverence when the class of 03-04’ did the unthinkable. Like you already don’t know, they were the ‘Untouchables’, the ‘Unbeatables’..

“THE INVINCIBLES”

The 38000-strong crowd, who thronged Highbury week-in and week-out, was clearly the most spoilt set of fans across Europe. The sleek one-touch interplay Arsenal deployed, with explosive counter-attacks and exquisite technical skills were unmatched, let alone in Europe, but anywhere across the world. En route they became the only team in modern football to have gone through the season unbeaten and this feat was achieved with a distinct blend of finesse and panache. Not to mention unfathomable authority. For 49 games, Wenger’s men were possessed and no one could touch them, no one.

Arsenal played ‘Champagne football’ which was duly lauded by purists and critics alike. After another FA Cup win in 04-05’, it was success in Europe that N5 now most longed for. In 05-06’ they almost came home in Paris but heartbreak was all they managed to return with through the ‘Channel’. This marked the end of a Golden phase in Arsene’s Arsenal sojourn. With all the big names having departed by the end of 06-07’ season, building a team able enough to reflect on the past, compete in the present and re-conquer the summit in immediate future was on top of Wenger’s priority. Shifting bases from the ‘Art-Deco’ Highbury to the ‘State-of-the-Art’ Emirates nearby, levied huge financial constraints on the club which meant Arsenal had to do all this the hard way.

Part 3: In Arsene We Trust

Wenger’s eye to spot talent at a nascent age and subsequently nurture them into house-hold names is well known. Be it the dungeons of Africa or the obscure leagues across Europe, the Scouts at N5 under the tutelage of Le’Prof, time and again unearth talents which otherwise could have gone unnoticed.  George Weah, N.Anelka, P.Vieira, Kolo Toure, R. VanPersie, C.Fabregas, T.Walcott are just a few heavyweight examples. The ‘Invincibles’ were a team full of big names entwined with just the right blend of youth and experience. But once they got dismantled and the financial clutches crept in, the inevitable could not be thwarted for long, something surely had to give. The Arsenal Youth Academy still managed to polish teen-aged rookies for the big stage but it was experience in the first team which went missing. Injuries to squad players at important junctures of the season too played a pivotal role in dethroning the Gunners from the top.

With the 08-09’ season having come to a close, Arsenal have now gone 4 seasons without any Silverware to match the often mesmerizing football they play. Top-4 finishes in the league and decent performances in the Champion’s League can never make up for the trophy drought and this remains a fact every Gooner grudge fully acknowledges. The new season is about to commence and unlike other major clubs across Europe, the transfer talks at the Emirates have been more about rumours than the actual signings. Likes of Arshavin, Nasri, Walcott, Fabregas, VanPersie, Vela, Eduardo, Bendtner can be trusted with a decent overhaul up front, but it’s the defensive half of the pitch which hugely lacks, both, experience and belief. Even die-hards are starting to see this youth-policy of Wenger’s as a double-edged sword which he can always use as an excuse for failures. The team looks good enough to leave the gaffers spellbound on occasions but for it to endure the long, despairing English season and come out trumps at the end of it is something only the fanatics can vouch for. The Professor needs to out-wit himself more than anyone else and this needs to done quickly. Still one question remains to be answered, the answer to which can just be our key to more glory..

“Mr. Wenger, Why Aren’t You So Serious!?”